Headswim
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1989 in Essex, England |
| Founder | Daniel Glendining, Tom Glendining, Nick Watts, Matt Pegg |
| Defunct | 2001 |
| Headquarters | Essex , England |
| Products | Alternative rock music |
Headswim was an English alternative rock group active throughout the 1990s, primarily recognized for their 1997 hit single "Tourniquet". Following the band's dissolution, members went on to engage in projects such as BlackCar, Tenebrous Liar, and Mew.
History
Originating in 1989 in Essex, England under the name Blinder, the founding members consisted of Daniel Glendining (guitar and vocals), Tom Glendining (drums), Nick Watts (keyboards and backing vocals), and Matt Pegg (bass). Drawing inspiration from grunge and progressive rock, they served as a supporting act for It Bites in 1989. After Pegg left the band, Clovis Taylor took over bass duties, and by 1992 the group had adopted the name Headswim.
Headswim independently released two four-track EPs titled Tense Nervous Head and Moment of Union through their own Crush Records label; these were subsequently combined into the mini-album Tense Moments. The success of these EPs secured them an eight-album contract with Epic Records, a Sony subsidiary. Their first full-length album, Flood, was released in 1994, featuring the single "Crawl" which entered the UK charts. The band embarked on extensive tours across the UK and Europe that year. The passing of Daniel and Tom’s brother Matthew, who had contributed to their album artwork, had a profound impact on the band.
In 1997, Headswim unveiled their sophomore album Despite Yourself, marking a stylistic transition from grunge towards a more introspective alternative rock sound reminiscent of artists like Radiohead and Jeff Buckley. The lead single "Tourniquet" achieved a top 30 position in the UK charts and received some airplay in the US. They toured America supporting Kula Shaker, but despite this exposure, album sales fell short of expectations. Efforts to produce a third album were abandoned after two recording sessions; Sony terminated their contract due to dissatisfaction with the material and escalating production expenses. This unreleased project remains archived. Headswim issued one last single, "Dusty Road", in 2000 through independent label Pet Sounds before officially disbanding in early 2001.
Following the breakup, Daniel Glendining launched BlackCar, essentially a solo endeavor that released two albums: BlackCar (2004) and Last Scene Rushes (2010). BlackCar’s track "Come On Home" was later covered by Natalie Imbruglia on her UK chart-topping album Counting Down the Days. Additionally, Daniel has composed scores for films such as Lindy Heymann’s 2010 British movie Kicks and contributed music to the French television series Ainsi soient-ils. Tom Glendining played drums for BlackCar and became part of Tenebrous Liar, which Daniel joined as guitarist in 2011. Nick Watts shifted his career towards graphic design while continuing to tour as keyboardist with Danish alternative rock band Mew.
In May 2022, Trapped Animal announced a deluxe reissue of Flood, scheduled for release on 7 October 2022 featuring bonus outtakes and BBC session recordings. To commemorate this, Headswim reunited for a one-time performance at Camden Underworld, playing the album in its entirety. Bassist Clovis Taylor suggested that further activities from the band could be anticipated.
Studio albums
- Flood (1994)
- Despite Yourself (1997 USA, 1998 UK & Europe) - UK No. 24
EPs
- Tense Nervous Head (1993)
- Moment of Union (1994)
- Both releases were later packaged together as the mini-album Tense Moments (1994)
Singles
- "Gone to Pot" (1994)
- "Soup" (1994)
- "Crawl" (1995) - Reached No. 64 on UK charts
- "Tourniquet" (1997 in the USA, 1998 in UK and Europe) - Peaked at No. 30 in the UK
- "Better Made" (1998) - Achieved No. 42 on UK charts
- "Dusty Road" (2000)
(UK chart rankings referenced from "British Hit Singles & Albums")